This week-end I attended a FF show, and a guy was selling hooks at a booth from sizes 22-30! What small hooks, there is NO way that I could ever tye a fly that small. Any one out there tye flies that small?:confused:

Randy Ratliff

01-10-2011, 11:34 AM

.............

narcodog

01-10-2011, 12:56 PM

Yep. down to 32's. I tie them mostly for the Davidson and usually in red.

I also have some Mustad 277's 32's that are actually smaller than Tiemco's 32. I have not tied on those and most likely will not. At about a value of $10.00 per hook that could get expensive quickly.

David Knapp

01-10-2011, 12:58 PM

I tie down to #28...but thats just because I haven't bought any smaller... Gotta love small flies!!! :biggrin:

ChemEAngler

01-10-2011, 05:11 PM

I believe the smallest I have tied is a #26, and routinely use 22 - 24's on the Clinch and SoHo in the winter and early spring.

CB86

01-10-2011, 06:53 PM

How many of you guys use tiny flies with success on the freestone streams up there (like in the park)? We have good success here in North GA with 20's-24's, especially on highly pressured, catch and release waters. Don't see a lot of midges mentioned in reports unless it's a tailwater. Have always wandered if anyone fishes them in the park.

ahighlan

01-10-2011, 07:59 PM

I've tied some midges down to 28 or maybe 30, but haven't had a chance to fish them yet. You have to make every wrap of thread count, too many wraps builds up quick on those small hooks.

I assume you went to the Indy FF show? How was it?

2weightfavorite

01-10-2011, 10:32 PM

I use 22 and 24s when they are called for in the national park. Late fall and early sping the BWOs come off and they are very small. Also almost every evening in the summer at every large flat pool on the Little fish can be taken with midges. Dont do much casting, watch for a rise and work for a single fish at a time. I love it.

Kytroutbum

01-11-2011, 01:10 AM

I don't tie much below a 22 or 24. I very seldom fish midges, even though, I carry them in my flybox. A suggestion to those of you who do is to tie on a wider gap hook- maybe a small scud hook. The wider gap will help you hold the fish. I had problem on the Bighorn a few years ago with flies pulling out of the mouth the fight. I switched to a wide gap scud hook for a small midge larvae, caught lots of fish and didn't have the hook pulling out problem.

Randall Sale
the Kytroutbum

MadisonBoats

01-11-2011, 01:54 PM

I tied down to #24 for midges. I do some gnats at #22. Anything above #24 is not something I want to fish with or that I care to fish. I have fumbling fingers and I do not enjoy trying to tie the small ones.:eek:

kentuckytroutbum

01-12-2011, 12:59 PM

I tied down to #24 for midges. I do some gnats at #22. Anything above #24 is not something I want to fish with or that I care to fish. I have fumbling fingers and I do not enjoy trying to tie the small ones.:eek:

Shawn-

Amen! Brother. :smile:
Size #24 is just about my limit on being able to tie a decent fly, after that it goes downhill fast.

Bill

501

01-12-2011, 09:17 PM

To those who can ty down to #32 you just confirm a theory I have had for some time. That is that your day job must be as a retina surgeon! I wish I could see as well! I mean, when your fly is on the water, do you really know where it is........? Just kidding, my hat is off to you guys.

CB86

01-13-2011, 12:47 AM

I tie pupa patterns down to a 26. I don't tie dries but the smallest midge adult patterns I have are #22's. I don't think I could see anything smaller than a #26 on anything but slack water.

flybum62

02-12-2011, 07:41 PM

I've tied some midges down to 28 or maybe 30, but haven't had a chance to fish them yet. You have to make every wrap of thread count, too many wraps builds up quick on those small hooks.

I assume you went to the Indy FF show? How was it?
It was in Inday and it was pretty fun. There were a lot of guy hawking steelhead fishing though. Great tying session.:biggrin: